Unexpected
by Kaleidoscope Of Tales
Summary: A hit-and-run in quiet Nanimori was unexpected. After his mother's death nobody comes for Tsuna, and for the next four years he lives alone in a house ridden with painful memories. How will his guardians prove themselves to an 'orphan' who doesn't trust anyone? And it seems they have some competition, as he already has 7 self-appointed guardians- he just doesn't know it yet. 27All
1. Unexpected Death

Sawada Nana's death was unexpected. A hit-and-run, especially in a sweet little town like Nanimori, was very rare. Regardless, it had happened. And Sawada Tsunayoshi couldn't take it back.

He knew it wasn't his fault. If it had been, it would have destroyed him. But as it was, Tsuna had been broken in a different way. He was nine years old, and had grown up with only his loving mother for a friend. The other children often bullied him for his somewhat feminine looks and clumsy habits, and the insecure boy was always excluded from games. He relished the time he spent with his kaasan. She was the one who hugged him when he felt lonely, or bandaged his knee when he tripped. She was the one who smiled at him and squealed 'Kawaii!' at random times. She was the one he trusted and loved with all his heart.

And then she had died.

It wasn't his fault, he knew, because it was his otosan to blame. He was the one Mama had been so hyped up to meet. Mama had put on her favourite dress, and the expensive necklace his supposedly poor papa had gifted her with. When Tsuna commented that she might get cold, his kaasan had pulled on her husband's old jacket, and pecked him on the forehead for being so considerate. She'd given him her routine tight embrace, and ruffled his hair. Tsuna had nervously asked what his kaasan would do if otosan was late, or didn't show up, as he often did, but his mama laughed the idea off. She was an optimist, unlike him, and tended to see the best in people. She had told him that she and otosan were just going on a date in a lovely restaurant, and that they'd be back by 9. She giggled then, and commented on the fact that her cute Tsu-chan would be going on dates soon enough, and Tsuna had blushed. Pessimism tickling him, Tsuna gave his kaasan one last hug, before watching her skip out the door.

It had been 7pm then. Only half-an-hour later, as Tsuna was struggling through his homework, the phone rang. It was a cheerful tune, about the brilliant sakura blossoms falling in the dull rain. Tsuna had slouched into the hallway, discouraged by his failure in math. Reaching up on his tippy-toes, he swiped at the phone in an attempt to reach it. Clumsily, he shoved it off the tall counter and it fell to the ground. Sheepishly, he picked it up, looking around as though someone could have seen his mistake. "Kaasan needs to put the phone somewhere I can reach," he whined, embarrassed. He put the device to his ear, answering the call.

Minutes later, the phone clattered to the ground. "Tsunayoshi? Please, Tsunayoshi, pick up the phone. Are you alright? Sawada Tsunayoshi?" His neighbour's voice crackled through the phone, but Tsuna made no move to pick it up.

"Kaa…san…" He whispered, dropping to his knees. "W-why?" His neighbour had gasped, fallen silent, and hung up. "It can't be… it can't… she can't…" He sobbed, hugging his legs to his chest. "Mama…"

The phone rang again, and shakily, Tsuna picked it up.

"H-h-hello?" He hiccupped.

"Tsu-chan! It's your otosan! Tell Nana-chan that I'm sorry I couldn't come today… Tsu-chan? Tsu?"

Tsuna had hung up.

It was probably the most painful night of his life. Nobody had come to take him away, and Tsuna had never felt lonelier. He trudged out of the kitchen, and tripped up the stairs. He gave a cursory knock on Nana's door, and winced. He slipped into the room, and drowned himself in the soft blankets, sniffing and weeping with only the intimate scent of kaasan's perfume for comfort.

The next morning felt even worse, and Tsuna stumbled around in autopilot. He made himself a light, simple breakfast, and ate it mechanically. It tasted of nothing, and slopped down his throat in a grotesque manner. He prepared himself for school, throwing disarray books and uncompleted homework into his bags. Upon leaving the house, he heard his neighbours gossiping about the death of someone on their street. Tsuna's head whipped up when he realized they weren't talking about his kaasan, but rather the kind man who had been considerate enough as to call him to tell him about the misfortune. In fact, no one mentioned his kaasan. It hadn't been that Nana was unpopular, she was rather a friendly shadow on the street. But to dismiss her death (his own kaasan's death…) so hurriedly was disgusting. Tsuna wiped a stray tear from his head and scowled, telling himself not to care. He'd be sure not to talk to them again.

In school things were just as bad. The teachers gave out to him for not completing his homework, and his schoolmates had laughed and jeered. Somehow, Tsuna kept himself from showing how much it all hurt. He was beginning to feel very empty.

Nobody asked him about his kaasan, and he realized no one would. He also came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to be picked up by the social services. And that he was alone. So very alone.

When school end, he shuffled through the yard. Today he would walk home by himself. All the other children's parents greeted them, smiling and laughing, and Tsuna could have cried. What had they done to deserve parents? What did they do they he didn't? He wiped at his eyes fiercely, sniffling. He felt angry at himself for being so pathetic- kaasan would be ashamed. She'd want him to be happy, he understood. She'd want him to move on. And maybe he could. Just not yet. And never as the same person he had been only yesterday.

A shriek jarred him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see a group of boys from his class crowding around someone. Girls giggled from the side lines, and the teachers were turning a blind-eye. The wide-eyed redhead staring at his attackers reminded Tsuna of himself, and the boy came to a halt. He couldn't let the other child be hurt right in front of him.

As he moved forwards, his brain screamed at him to stop. He was weak- he couldn't protect the other boy! He'd be beat up in the process, no matter what the outcome was. But his legs continued towards the group, and his mind stopped resisting and allowed autopilot to take over.

"Stop that!" He ordered, his voice losing its usual squeak. The boys ignored him, and the girls sniggered. Tsuna felt his eyes narrow, and the fury that had been building up inside him exploded. "Stop!" He yelled, anger flashing in his eyes like lightning, as they flickered orange. Two flaming orbs glared at the Nanimori students, and they stared in surprise.

One child recovered quicker than the rest, and snorted derisively. "Get lost Dame-Tsuna!"

"No. Not until you leave him alone," Tsuna said, voice steady.

"No way!" Retorted one, laughing.

"As if, no-good Tsuna!"

"Go away, Baka-Tsuna!"

"Yeah, stupid-Tsuna! Get back to your mama!"

Tsuna froze, and his heart pounded in his chest. _Kaasan_ … Once again, he moved mindlessly towards the offending boy.

"You _baka_..." Tsuna hissed, grabbing the startled boy's collar, and, with strength he didn't know he had, he drove his fist into the other's face. The two body parts collided with a resounding crack, and the bully fell backwards.

His eyes, now a clear orange, flicked to the rest of the gang, and they scuttled back. None of them bothered to aid their injured friend, but rather ran away. Tsuna heard himself scoff, unimpressed, and moved over to the boy on the ground.

The child blinked dazedly up at him from the ground. "You're the one they call Dame-Tsuna…"

"And?" Tsuna growled uncharacteristically. Pain demands to be felt, and though Tsuna felt a large amount of relief at opposing his bullies, his hands shook with anger.

The boy yelped, putting his hands up in surrender. "I-I didn't mean it like that," he said guiltily. "It's the only thing I know about you…"

"And who are you?" Tsuna softened his tone, knowing his kaasan wouldn't want him venting out his feelings on the innocent boy. He let his apology show through his eyes, from which the orange was fading.

"Oh, I'm Irie Shoichi," the other said shyly.

"You're the smart one," Tsuna remembered, smiling slightly. Kaasan had doted on the little prodigy every time they'd passed him and his family, and Tsuna used to feel a little jealous. No more, though, he reminded himself. Kaasan wouldn't want it. Shoichi flinched at the title.

"Y-yeah," he said uncomfortably.

"Why do you sound so embarrassed? You are smart," Tsuna said, in an as-a-matter-of-factly fashion. "Like, really smart." Shoichi stared at Tsuna and his transition, from such a frightening figure to a doe-eyed boy with awe in his voice. He looked away uncertainly.

"Ano~," Shoichi hummed, turning red. "Thank you, Sawada-kun. If you hadn't…" he paused, and shuddered, holding his stomach. Tsuna helped him to his feet, and the other gratefully thanked him again. "I owe you," he finished.

Tsuna beamed back, eyes big and chocolatey. Suddenly he had an idea. "Um, Shoichi-kun?"

The other boy blinked at the familiarity in the term, and gave him a half-smile. "Yes, uh… Tsuna-sama?"

"Kun," Tsuna corrected immediately. He beamed at Shoichi. "I don't suppose you could help me with my studies…?"

"Oh," Shoichi considered it. "Of course, Tsuna-kun."

The wide grin he gained in return made it all the more worth it.

Together, they walked to their respective homes, the newly donned 'Sho-kun' disappearing down a different street to meet with his loving family while Tsuna continued straight. When he entered the house, the emptiness returned. Blankly, he did his homework as well as he could, hoping he'd be able to get some help from Shoichi the next morning. They had promised to meet outside Shoichi's apartment in the morning, where they planned to look over Tsuna's work and learn more about each other until it was time to leave for school.

But what was he to do until then? And what if Sho-kun didn't even show?

Tsuna decided he didn't want to think, and was about to retire up to his kaasan's room for the second time when the phone rang again. Hands shaking, Tsuna took it in his hands and placed it to his ear. "H-h-hello?" He said, cursing his stammering voice. He had to be brave for Nana. He just had to.

"Tsunayoshi-kun? I am an associate of your father. I regret to tell you that he has become a star and-"

Tsuna threw the phone away from him, and ran up the stairs into his kaasan's room.

Next morn' he rose early. He cleaned up the room, choking on a sob as he neatly folded his kaasan's apron and left it on her chair. He made the bed, and left his teddy, Natsu, on the pillow. He kissed Natsu's head, fondly, and took the key, locking Nana's door for the last time. He refused to cry, and laid his palm against her door, as though he and his kaasan were holding hands once more. Turning, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His eyes were cold, and no longer brown. Tsuna fell back, against the door, blinking in shock at the two slit orange organs glowering back at him.

Tsuna let out his girly scream for the last time. It took him a moment to calm down, before he simply accepted it _. Kaasan would call it handsome_ , he chuckled monotonously.

His eyes, for such fires, were so dark.

Four years later, those eyes had yet to regain their light.

* * *

Sawada Tsunayoshi was the enigma of Nanimori Middle. He was uniquely good-looking in a way no other boy was. His eyes were a unique deep amber, low-lidded and surreptitious. He was relatively short, yet the way he held himself made him seem strong, and even threatening. He rarely spoke in class, but had immaculate marks. The only person he chose to consort with was Irie Shoichi, who was the infamous nerdy social outcast. The girls loved his mysteriousness, and the romantic melancholy that followed him.

Of course, Tsuna was completely unaware. As he had matured with only loneliness and the intelligent Shoichi for company, he had grown into a quiet and thoughtful boy. His newfound smarts gave him courage, and a feeling of pride that he felt his kaasan would share. Only after her death had he felt the need to impress her, so much so that it was almost constricting. One flaw, that he knew Nana would look down on, was his habit of holding grudges. He'd never been invited to otosan's funeral, and was unable to make peace with the man. He was somewhat bitter of a child, and never noticed the respect others held for him after he left his Dame-Tsuna years.

His eyes were clandestine, and the only explanation those around him could consider were either a use coloured contacts or a bad infection. His schoolmates and neighbours had learned to accept the odd shade, and most couldn't remember his eyes ever being another colour.

However, what was most impressive about the Sawada boy was his powerful ability to block out emotion, and simply not care. He ran on raw instinct for the most of the time, rather than relying on feelings. Though he couldn't help loving his kaasan, and perhaps his only true friend, Sho, he'd realized that Nana never would have left and been killed if she hadn't loved his otosan. Love held him back from stopping her. Love killed his kaasan.

And as Tsuna stared at her door, now thirteen years of age and sour with grief, he decides love can go to hell. He knows it would take him with it.

* * *

 **Dia duit mo chairde! KHR has been one of my obsessions for a while know, and I watched the first sixty episodes in a week. However, it has been months since then, and I am nearly finished the wondrous anime. I don't usually care much for anime, but KHR and Death Note are special. Seeing that I'm not all that used to writing in such a style, I hope you'll forgive me for any bad grammar or spelling when it comes to honorifics and such. Thank you, and wish me luck in my exams!**


	2. Unexpected Allies

**Hiyo. You may have already guessed (juust maybe) that this is an AU. Tsuna is definitely going to seem OOC, and Shoichi probably will too. Just remember that this is a totally different universe, and the way they've grown up is very different. Shoichi doesn't even attend the same school, and I'm pretty sure I stole a year of his life from him. Oops.**

"Sho, where do you want to study today?" Tsuna asked, stretching tiredly. "That test was useless. I want to go over the important stuff one last time."

Shoichi blinked at him. "Tsuna," he groaned, and Tsuna hummed. "You've been studying biology nonstop for a month. The exam is over. Can't we just put it behind us?" He sighed, scratching his head. He was constantly stressed because of Tsuna's tiring paranoia about perfection. He loved helping the other boy, but, as important as academics were to him, his music held a special place in his heart. Tsuna stared blankly back at him, and Shoichi began to get desperate. He tried to flash the puppy eyes he had learned from the master himself, Tsunayoshi, but it came out as a grimace. He didn't particularly want a rerun of their last quiz- _Sho, how does a woman become impregnated? Sho, label this diagram of the male reproductive system. Sho, describe the menstrual cycle._ He was starting to think it was Tsuna's way of getting kicks out of these bland days.

"I don't fully understand it," Tsuna retorted, shameless.

"You don't get chemistry either, you said," Shoichi suggested hopefully, turning to leave. He held the door open, and Tsuna nodded his thanks.

"Aren't they supposed to go together?" Shoichi choked on air, whipping round to face his friend. "And which is more important? Do you prefer biology, Sho?" He didn't answer. "It sounds so simple, but it's not. Chemistry seems so much more natural."

" _Fine,_ " Shoichi grinded out. He gave his friend a weary grin. "We'll do biology."

"You're very eager, Sho-kun," Tsuna noted, and Shoichi's jaw dropped.

"Stop it," he whined. He dropped a hand to his uneasy stomach, wincing slightly.

"Back to biology again, Sho?" Tsuna sighed extravagantly. "You should get a girlfriend." Shoichi felt his lips quirk. It was the times like this that he enjoyed most, when Tsuna's eyes sparkled like amber gems and his mouth was pulled up in a wide smile. It was the real part of their relationship, in which they made each other laugh. Tsuna loved laughing, Shoichi had discovered. He was very good at it, too. He was the master of laughter, ruling over sarcasm, scoffing, sugary and scary. His unusual mother had even jokingly added 'sexy', which frankly disturbed Shoichi, because he knew his friend was beautiful. Maybe it was only at moments like this, when the sky was at its peak and all the elements seemed at one, but Tsuna was beautiful.

"No thanks," he returned dismissively, and Tsuna shrugged.

"You could if you want," the boy pestered further. "You're the smartest guy I know."

Shoichi laughed awkwardly, hand automatically in his hair. "You're pretty smart too, Tsuna."

"I don't want a girlfriend," Tsuna scoffed. Shoichi sighed. His friend was very much against the 'ideal of love'. Clearly, he simply didn't believe in it. He could recall asking Tsuna if he had ever loved anyone. They'd been sitting on the roof, behind some pipes and netting, just watching the sky. Tsuna had seemed completely at ease, and as they spoke quietly the question had escaped him. Tsuna had gone silent, and remained that way for an uncountable amount of minutes. Finally, he had replied in a small voice that he had loved his okaasan, and few others. After a broken moment, he added that he thought he loved Sho-kun too. They didn't speak then, and simply basked in the light of the afternoon sky.

"Of course you don't," Shoichi sighed, returning to reality. "Let's just go."

Perhaps it was like science, the way he wished he could have said "I love you too" that day.

* * *

"My house or yours?" Tsuna questioned offhandedly.

"No offense Tsuna, but your house is like Hibari-san's nightmare," Shoichi apologized, pulling Tsuna down his street. There was a change in the atmosphere as Tsuna blinked once and allowed a heart-breaking pout to form on his lips. He might as well have had a rainbow reaching over his fluffy head. "I'm just being honest!" He spluttered. It was annoying how much his friend screamed-

"KAWAII!" Shoichi's kaasan burst through the door, pulling Tsuna into a hug. "Oh, Tsu-chan! We missed you!" His oneesan grinned wolfishly, winking at Shoichi from behind his kaasan.

"Hisashiburi Etsuko-san," Tsuna greeted, giving a wry smile.

"Oh, Tsu-chan, just call me kaasan!" The older woman badgered, shaking her head at him in mock annoyance.

Tsuna laughed. Shoichi had to smile; the other boy was always so polite around his family, and he knew that Tsuna appreciated the warm, if only a little odd, Irie welcome. "Alright, Etsuko-san," Tsuna sighed in defeat.

"Oi!" Shoichi's kaasan chuckled, wagging her finger at him. "Well, come in! Welcome back, Tsu-chan! How was school, boys?"

"It was fine, kaasan," Shoichi said just as Tsuna answered, "Worse than last time."

They turned for a staring match as Irie-san giggled. "Are you two hungry?"

"Yes," Tsuna said, and Shoichi let him answer this time. Tsuna rarely noticed when he was hungry, and it took Shoichi pointing at his growling stomach for the other to realize his lack of food.

"Well then, I'll get cooking!"

"I'll help, kaasan," his oneesan offered, looking devious as ever. Shoichi felt his eyes narrow.

"It's fine, Shiori-san," Tsuna told her. "We wouldn't want to interrupt your studies."

Shiori turned the evil gaze onto Tsuna, but he held his ground until she left, grumbling under her breath.

"Oh, Shiori-chan left her 'Hot-Pepper Extract' on the counter. Would you give it back to her, Sho-chan? She might need it for cookery class!"

"Oh, I'll give it to her," Shoichi grumbled, swiping the offending object into his hands. As soon as he had left, his mother swung around to face Tsuna.

"What's that upside down smile for, Tsuna-chan?" She demanded, placing her hands on her hips, looking very much an interrogator in her frilly yellow apron.

"What smile? Oh, never mind. It's just a bad day."

"A bad day in the Irie-Sawada household? There's no such thing!" Irie Etsuko scolded.

Tsuna granted her a small grin. "Thanks, Etsuko-san. You and your son are like the suns in my life- you brighten up my day!"

"Aw," she swooned, and hugged him again. Tightly.

"Ano~, Etsuko-san… I can't _breathe_ …"

"Oops," she laughed. "Well, you hop off and join Sho-chan, okee?"

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Tsuna thanked her good-naturedly. He crouched down and began looking through his bag, then sighed. "It looks like I forgot my notes back home. Can you tell Sho that I just need to run and get them, please?"

"Sure, Tsu-chan," his friend's kaasan promised, rummaging through the fridge. "Take your time, but don't be too long!" She called as he jogged out the door. "Or your food will go cold!"

* * *

A year after his kaasan's death, Tsuna had been staring out the window. Specifically, staring out the window at the pink-haired foreigner who was _staring_ _in_ his window. It was nearing midnight, and very dark out. Tsuna had lit one of the scented candles from Nana's treasured set and left it on the table. He had curled up into a ball on a seat and fallen asleep, only to wake up two hours later with his hand reaching out for the candle. Unnerved, Tsuna had sat up and looked outside. And that was when he noticed the lady standing in the rain.

She was only a teenager, at any age from fourteen to sixteen. Her hair was like geranium, and fell neatly past her shoulders. She had tranquil, soft green eyes that were wet with tears polluted with rain. She was wearing a drenched white tank top and a loose pair of jeans, and was shivering as the water soaked through the light clothing.

Realizing that she must have been standing there in the wet for hours, and was planning and staying even longer, he began to feel a little bad. He understood that his kaasan would want him to invite the older girl in, and so he did.

He threw on a jacket and thrust open the door, sloshing out into the storm. She had stared at him in surprise, and her ocean-like eyes had widened when he asked her to come in and dry up. He showed her to the bathroom after closing the door on the cold, and went back to the window seat. Half-an-hour later she returned, dressed in his dad's baggy jumper and jeans. She didn't question why he hadn't offered her his kaasan's clothing, and he appreciated it in silence. Upon entering the room, she took in the messiness surrounding him, and the little scented candle on the table. She sat down with him, and after a moment of quiet introduced herself as Bianchi D'Amore.

Over the next few years Bianchi had invited herself into the Sawada house many times. Once Tsuna had tested her and locked the door, but sure enough he'd met her in the sitting room that evening. She had become like a busy parent to him, though he knew she was only about four years older than him. He had to guess, though. Like Nana, she stated that it was evil to ask a woman's age.

Eventually she had explained to him why she had been waiting outside his house. Apparently she had met Nana only a few months before her abrupt death, and Nana had comforted her. Bianchi had ran away from home for a short while, after a bad breakup with some jerk called 'Romeo'. Her mother had been crude to her, both about Romeo and Bianchi's relationship and the ideal of love itself, and it had greatly offended the hopeless romantic. Having travelled from Britain on a mission she had taken the first plane possible to the country of manga and anime- Japan. She'd encountered Nana firstly at a pretty little bakery, where 'the nice lady in the queue' handed her a handkerchief when she burst out crying after looking at all the pretty heart shaped cake. Nana had bought her one of them, and though startled after the girl took a knife out of nowhere and stabbed the dessert, chatted amiably with her for hours. Bianchi told her all about the breakup, and her own mother's reaction, and Nana did her best to cheer her up. After forming a familial-like bond, they had walked back to the Sawada household- Bianchi claiming it was on her way home anyways. Finally, they parted ways after Nana attacked her with a hug and wished her luck. Bianchi had never forgotten.

It was thanks to Bianchi that he respected love, even if he didn't particularly like it. She had helped him learn to cook better meals for himself, and they had enjoyed long afternoons simply talking to one another. Bianchi spoke of a half-brother who seemed to hate her, and Tsuna told her about the days when he was 'Dame-Tsuna'. Bianchi was like the oneesan he never had, but nobody could replace his kaasan.

Regardless, Tsuna didn't know what he'd do without her.

 _(27 2727)_

"Yaho," the pink-haired girl acknowledged. "How are you, Tsuna?"

"Fine, Bianchi."

"I bought some new candles," she offered, smiling tiredly. Tsuna returned it, equally weary. "It's a long day, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he agreed. He shifted the folder of notes under his arm. "Could you light it tonight? I'll probably be home late. Sho and I are studying."

"Be back by ten," she ordered. Tsuna often compared her to a mother hen, but couldn't say he didn't appreciate. "And of course I will. Where this time?"

"The kitchen, maybe?" He suggested. He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "She loved baking…"

"I'll make a cake," Bianchi decided. "We have to do something new this year. We can have three thin candles and the new one."

Tsuna's lips quirked into a small grin. "I really value your effort every year, Bianchi," he said quietly. Gratefully.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she told him. And for a moment they just smiled at each other in a state of wordless understanding. It was almost familial. It was perfect. "I have to leave tomorrow."

Tsuna felt his smile drop, but pulled it back immediately. "OK."

* * *

 **-Note that I was unable to find out the names of any of the Irie family, so they were made up, as well as Bianchi's surname.**


	3. Unexpected Jealousy

_**Many thanks to lady sakura cosmos for pointing out a huge error!**_

* * *

Irie Shoichi didn't _do_ jealousy. The lack of conflict in his life made envy a dead end. Perhaps he had experienced the slightest hint of sibling rivalry when it came to his day-to-day encounters with Shiori, but it never amounted to any real discord. At least, that's what Tsuna had assured him. Of course, Shiori would never purposely draw a moustache on his face while he slept knowing full well that his allergies would react immediately. The triad of black freckles scribbled onto each of his cheeks both washed off eventually, but just maybe Shoichi was relieved for the allergy-ridden blush as Tsuna inclined his head and stared. The other had needed to repeat his question of 'are you okay?' as Shoichi thanked the gods that he couldn't see the irking blush tinting his polluted cheeks.

And how could he be covetous when his inventions often bested all others? Tsuna was right in that aspect. Irie Shoichi was a genius, through and through. Excluding his social skills, which Tsuna had made his mission to improve. Not that it had helped much, with Tsuna being equally awkward around strangers and, well, basically everyone. Shoichi had sworn four years ago to never tell anyone what a klutz his friend was to Tsuna's desperate pleads.

And, with each facet covered, Shoichi really had no reason to feel so proprietorial with his best friend. It was Tsuna, for goodness sake. The clumsy kid he'd befriended out of curiosity four years ago, whose appearance should have meant nothing more than a safety blanket.

Except it wasn't. Because Tsuna was special, and he wasn't the genius Shoichi was to notice it. Be it his unusual eyes, or his distrust toward everyone around him, Tsuna was different. He was an enigma in everything but story. Maybe Tsuna thought himself clever in the way that he dodged family-related questions from the Iries, but Shoichi certainly didn't. Everything about the boy emphasized the fact that he was lonely. That he hated going home. That past-tense made up every fact about the Sawada household. There was little left to investigate about the mystery of Tsunayoshi, but every time Shoichi was certain he'd cracked the case, the orange-eyed boy proved him wrong.

Regardless. He could write a seven-hundred paged book about 'Tsunayoshi Sawada', and still have enough information to write a sequel and a prequel. And the prologue would probably form a novel of itself, knowing Tsuna.

So why was he fighting to keep his eye from twitching in irritation as the respectable Sasagawa Kyoko made too-big-to-be-small talk with his best friend?

Of course, they had long since mutually agreed that Kyoko was the friendliest girl either of them had ever met. She was a sincere individual, with a bright smile and a light composure. She probably went skipping in fields of flowers as a hobby, Shoichi thought bitterly. You could probably describe her sprint as a frolic, her voice as a song, and her hair as a fiery halo. Though she was lacking in smarts, as it seemed she still thought that her brother, Ryohei's, beloved boxing was two boys in their boxers fighting with oven gloves. He had little doubt that the description could only be that of the other Sasagawa, who was equally good-hearted and protective. It was a small flaw, and her airy serenity was still smile-inducing.

Shoichi had never cared about being pushed into the shadows until now, as his impatient fingers drummed against his knee in agitation. An equally discomposed foot tapped irritably against the ground while he fought to keep a forced smile on his face. The awkward atmosphere he was creating was even worse than the time that Tsuna had answered a question about the water cycle wrong, having mixed up condensation with constipation. In fact, Shoichi probably had an expression of such as he watched the two chat.

How he had been dragged into meeting Sasagawa Kyoko in a chocolate café was beyond him. He seemed to recall Tsuna's lip trembling in his unconscious 'do what I say, I'm adorable' pout. Sighing, Shoichi held his face in his hands, planting his elbows onto the table. At least it hid the blush tinging his cheeks.

Tsuna laughed at something Kyoko said, and Shoichi winced. Tsuna _never_ laughed with anyone but the Iries. Did that make popular and pretty girl Kyoko special? It seemed to, as Tsuna reached over to wipe a smudge of chocolate from her face.

Why was Shoichi here again? He exhaled again, shifting away from the two in discomfort. They were all sharing a cosy booth in the Candy-Chan Café. A local bakery-styled restaurant, perfect for first dates.

 _Why, Tsuna, why?_ Shoichi mourned, as couples giggled and flirted around him.

It was becoming increasingly tense from his position. There were three cushioned seats in the booth, each on a different side of the table. While Tsuna and Kyoko faced each other, Shoichi had been forced into the last seat- the one in which he would have to watch everything. Each and every potential flirt, brushing of knees, or googly-eyed glances. Shoichi would say it was torture, if only it wasn't so much more.

Seeing the two interact had been inevitable. Tsuna was _the_ boy-toy of the school, while Kyoko was the princess. Fate and cliché were bound to push them together; the two unattainable entities of Nanimori Middle School.

But the meeting had long since entered a date-like stage, stemming Shoichi's discomfort. He wasn't even sure when the first encounter had occurred, because Kyoko and Tsuna had begun talking like old friends from the start. It wasn't as though he had ever seen them talk, and the most he had seen Kyoko's best friend Hana ever say to Tsuna was 'baka'. But maybe she had meant it teasingly? Shoichi wasn't sure. Could you blankly call someone an idiot and mean it in a friendly way? If anyone could, it certainly had to be Kurokawa Hana.

As though on cue, Kyoko perked up even more so (was that even possible?) and stood up from the table. "Oh, Tsu-kun, Hana's down the street!"

"She is?"

"Yes! We should offer her some chocolate, we bought so much," the girl considered, nodding to herself. It seemed her ridiculous smile was contagious as Tsuna's lips were tugged into a grin.

"We sure did! Do you think she'd like the strawberry, the milk or the-" they both froze, and turned to each other, mirroring one another's laugh. "Dark," they said in unison. "She'd like the dark chocolate."

Kyoko beamed, packing the remaining candies into her bag. "Shoichi-kun," she began, turning to face him. "Do you have any left?"

Shoichi shook his head ruefully. He had shoved them into his cheeks like a squirrel to avoid conversation, and would probably be nursing his stomach the rest of the day.

"You coming, Sho?" Tsuna asked, still smiling. Why was Shoichi only now noticing the delicate stitching of Tsuna's orange jumper, sewed only to fit Kyoko's hand? They were clearly friends. Maybe more. " _Sho_?"

Shoichi snapped himself out of the daze. "Uh, no thank you," he said with a turn of his lips. The half-grin held as he muttered about his stomach killing him and 'holding back next time'.

Both excuses were true, but probably not in the way Tsuna expected.

"I'm going to go home," he mumbled to himself as the couple strolled away. "And I am going to cry. No. I'm going to go to the bathroom first. Then cry. Or eat ice cream," he breathed out, standing on sleepy legs. "The latter sounds nice."

Shoichi then walked home, the fresh worry of Shiori having pigged out on their ice cream the lightest on his mind.

000

Tsuna had befriended Kyoko for selfish reasons from the start. She reminded him of his mother. The first conversation they had shared, three years prior, had reduced him to tears. She had accompanied him to classes he didn't share with Shoichi, and always found time for him if he ever felt lonely. He held the slightest of grudges against her brother, seeing how he constantly lied to her, and maybe because Ryohei reminded him of his father. For all Tsuna knew, the older boy could be his dad's polar opposite, but he didn't care to find out.

However, after three years of friendship, Tsuna had stopped seeing Kyoko as his mother's image, but rather as her own person. It had taken time, and many chocolates, but their relationship had become a mutual affinity that he treasured dearly. Shoichi was his best friend, yes, but he couldn't deliver advice the way Kyoko could. She had a way with words that made the world seem so beautiful and everyone in it worth it. Made _him_ worth it.

If Sho was his blanket, then Kyoko was his pillow.

They knew almost everything about one another. How Tsuna feared relationships, and how Kyoko worried constantly for her brother's sake. They both knew of the other's quirky dreams, and Tsuna sometimes accompanied Kyoko to her ballet practice. They even knew that they were each-other's first a , but by this stage Tsuna saw Kyoko as a guy and Kyoko saw him as a girl. Neither were insulted, though Tsuna had sulked at her suggestion of cross-dressing. Regardless, their camaraderie didn't change, and the mutual confessions seemed to only expand their ever-growing bond. They fought from time to time, but the silence never lasted long before Tsuna tripped over something or Kyoko wanted her chocolate-buddy back.

The longest fight they'd ever had was when Kyoko was curious of the whereabouts of his mother, and why he lived alone. It had taken two years for her to question his situation, and he had begun to hope she never would. But, with his luck, the serenity was short-lived. She asked whether he trusted her whatsoever, and whether _Shoichi-kun_ knew. She said she thought they were friends. That they could tell each other anything. He snapped, telling her it was none of her business and that she aught leave. He shouted at her, screaming that she wouldn't understand, and that he was _so sorry_. She ignored him for three weeks, upset by his cynicism. In the time leading up to his apology, Tsuna hung around his house, bleary and dull-heartened. Shoichi seemed to gather that something was wrong, but remained silent, clearly unsure of how Tsuna would react.

He regretted his explosion immensely, and the day before he approached Kyoko he had a dream. He saw the fight through a witness's eyes, except he wasn't arguing with Kyoko. He was arguing with his mother. And as tears flooded from his dead mother's eyes, Tsuna broke.

He told Kyoko everything that morning, begging her not to leave. Everyone left eventually, he knew, but honest Kyoko's word had to mean _something_.

Tsuna didn't want to be alone. Never again. He'd be the most dame, idiotic loser in all of Nanimori if only it meant that he didn't lose his friends.

"Come on," said Kyoko, a year later. Her beam could fill the whole street with light, just as it had his life. "Let's go see Hana!"

She'd said the exact same the year prior, before introducing her cynical best friend to him. Upon meeting Hana Tsuna had to wonder what Kyoko had done to be stuck with them as friends. They didn't deserve her kindness, which they could only reply to with disenchanted retorts and broken ideals. Now he had grown to respect Hana, though it was probably entirely one-sided. She seemed as sceptical of him as she had been through his dame years.

Tsuna would never tell, in case she ever ended her dubiety in him, how relieving it was. He wanted to become someone his mother would be proud of- but that didn't mean people had to like him. He was uncomfortable in the way that his classmates admired him, and disconcerted whenever he received valentines. He didn't deserve their acclaim, just as he didn't deserve the friends he'd been gifted with.

"Hey Kyoko," Hana greeted, as they neared her. She had a few magazines under one arm, and a bag of books balanced in the other. Tsuna knew she would never say it out loud, but she was an absolute hopeless romantic. She fell in love with the ideal of love. It was in such that they were opposites. "Hey loser."

"Hana!" Kyoko hailed, as though they hadn't seen the girl as they rushed up the streets to meet her. Her enthusiasm brightened the atmosphere, hushing Hana's sarcasm to the shadows. Her mouth had opened and was unlikely to shut anytime soon.

"Hana," Tsuna said less eagerly, speaking over Kyoko's onslaught of gossip and chat. "We brought offerings."

"Oh yes," Kyoko remembered, shooting a smile to Tsuna and presenting the chocolates.

"Thanks Kyoko," Hana grinned, accepting the food.

"You're welcome," muttered Tsuna, unperturbed by Hana's usual blatant disregard. The girls fell into casual conversation that echoed with laughter and amusement. Tsuna listened noncommittally as they spoke of ballet and tests, but lost interest as when the discussion turned toward boys. He fell into thought, only catching the brief cooing of names. It had all been said before. Tsuna knew by this stage that Yamamoto Takeshi was considered gorgeous, that Kensuke Mochida was thought of as manly, and that Ryohei was extreme. They even fleetingly complimented him, but by then it was time for the trio to part and Tsuna waved goodbye.

The smile painted on his face by the two lasted what seemed to be a forever- a forever that ended with the gates to the Sawada household.

It had been a home once, _his_ home, but the modest house was nothing without people to share it with. Now the house was as empty as Tsuna; desolate until guests came along. But the guests never stayed, and the house remained bleak and arid.

He mindlessly entered, shutting the gates behind him. Clumsy as he was, he tripped over a crack, slamming into the ground at full force. However, with no mother to break her back, Tsuna staggered to the door. But like the lucky fool he was, his empty pockets told of lost keys and a missing wallet. He told himself not to worry, Vongola Construction would send money, and the back door was open.

Besides, he'd bet on Kyoko or Shoichi haven found his key for him. They needed a way into the house, after all.

(And as he slouches into a seat, Tsuna wonders when he stopped thinking about his house.)

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the house, an unread note lay in the post box, left to rot like whatever other love letters he'd deemed himself unworthy of.

* * *

 _ **"Katekyo Hitman Reborn!"**_


	4. Warning: This Is Not An Update

_**This isn't an update, and if you hate 'A/N's you don't need to read the following. Have a nice day!**_

* * *

Hey guys! Some people have been asking whether I'll be continuing this story, and I promise, I will. I hope no one has clicked on this expecting an update ( _you have no idea how much restraint it took not to insert an "unexpected..." pun somewhere_ ), but I'll write as soon as I can. I'm currently preparing for my exams and my Mocks are starting next week. As for why I haven't updated in nearly three months- one of my close friends admitted to me that she was self-harming and I've been trying to help her out. It's been a pretty stressful time, sorry. I could use a million-and-one excuses but you guys probably don't need to hear them!

I'm really sorry that I am so very slow at updating! Chapter 4 will come eventually, and I hope you all have an awesome day!

 ** _\- Kaleidoscope Of Tales_**


End file.
